Oil thief



May 26, 1925.

C." E. YOUNG .OIL THIEF Filed Sept INVENTOR.

Patented May 26 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,539,790 PATENT OFFICE.

CHESTER E. YOUNG, 0F LAWRENCEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

OIL THIEF.

Application filed September 5, 1924. Serial No.736,101.

Devices of this character are used prinei-' pally for detecting water in refined oils and crude oils, and are especially designed for usein detecting water in gasoline. The device is suspended by a cord and lowered into a barrel or other receptacle containing the oil or gasoline to be sampled, until the lower end thereof rests upon the lowermost portion'of the receptacle, whereupon the device will open to allow the fluid contained in the bottom of the receptacle to flow there into and when the device is r ised from the bottom of the receptacle, it will automatically close and trap the fluid therein. If there is a layer of water upon the bottom of the receptacle beneath the oil, the device will remove therefrom a certain amount of this water as well as a certain amount of the oil in the receptacle and the height of the water in the device will indicate the depth of the strata of water in the bottom of the receptacle.

The primary object of this invention is the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of an oil thief for the purpose as above set forth which will quickly and easily entrap a portion of the fluid to be examined and automatically closed as soonas raised from the receptacle to give accurate results as to the quantity of impurities in the oil sample.

A still further object of the invention is the provision in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of an oil trap so designed that, when the tra is removed from the body of oil in whic it has been inserted, it will show at a glance the depth of water, if any, which might be lying at the bottom of the recep-' tacle beneath the sampled oil A final object of this invention is the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of an oil thief of simple design, neat and attractive in appearance, giving accurate re sults, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the i accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the understanding that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevationof the device embodying this invention. e

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same.

the upper portion of the implement.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a retaining nut by means of which a lining is retained in the body of the device, and

F igure 5 is a transverse section upon the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the device embodying this invention .comprises a substantially elongated cylindrical body 1 open at its upper end and in teriorly threaded as at 2 and having its lower end formed to provide the annular inturned flange 3 providing a reduced central aperture 4. A longitudinally extending opening is cut in the wall of the cylinder as indicated at 5, the lower portion of this opening being adjacent the lower end of the cylinder and the top thereof being positioned a substantial distance below the upper end of the cylinder as shown.

The inner surface of the annular inturned flange 3 is finished off to provide the shoul- Figure 3 is a plan view of a valve seat for der 6 which supports a glass barrel 7, the overall diameter of which is substantially the same as the interior diameter of the cylinder to set up a snug fit between the two bodies. A washer 8 is interposed between the shoulder G and the lower end of the cylinder 7. v v

' A cylinder retaining nut 9 is provided having peripheral threads 10 thereon to engage the threads 2 in the upper end of the cylinder 1 and this circular nut is threaded into the cylinder 1 to bear against the washer 11 carried upon the upper end of the cyl inder 7 to firmly clamp the same in position.

The nut 9 is provided with the axial bore 12 and further has the diametrically opposite radial slots 13 therein for the engagement bf-a tool to loosen the same or thread the same into position. v

Closing the upper end of the cylinder 1 is ahead member indicated as, a whole by the numeral 14. a This head member comprises a I body with interior and exterior screw threads.

V c linder 1, as shown, until the top edge This skirt 20 is of less thickness than the collar 19 and there is thus provided at the lower edge of the collar a shoulder 21. The skirt 20 is threaded into the upper end of tlufe t e cylinder abuts the shoulder 21. The

dome 15 is provided with a series of apertures 22, the purposeof which will become apparent as the description of the device proceeds. v

Threaded into the skirt 20 of the head 14, is a top valve seat element constituting a substantially elongated annular body member '23 having through and 'exteriorly threaded as indicated to threadably enga e the interior threads of the skirt 20. ne end of this member 23 isof greater diameter than the body and provides the head 25, the inner face of which head abuts against the end ofthe sleeve 20 as shown in Figure 2. A pair of, diametrically opposite radial slots 26 is formed in the outer face of the head 25 to provide means for engagingthe valve seat member with a tool to screw the same into or out of position. It will be noted that the passage and aligns with the passage 12 of the nut 9 and'the lower face of the head 25 of the member 23 bears upon the top of the nut 9 when the head is in position. The member 23, as shown, closes the lower end of the hollow'head 14 and there is thus setup a domed chamber 27 in the head which con- 7 stitlites a ball valve chamber.

Positioned within the 'glass barrel 7 of the device is a vertically reciprocable rod 28. having the flat squared lower end 29 which constitutes a foot and which further has its under central surface recessed as at 30 to seat the foot upon a ball 31w'hich is normally seated upon the edge of the annular flange 3, and extends artially through the aperture formed there y, as shown in the drawings. This ball seats perfectly in this aperture and normally tends to close the same. The upper end of the rod 28 extends through the passage 12 and into the passage 24 of the member 23, but does not for the the axial passage 24 therei 24 is of the same diameter extend entirely through this assage, but terminates a slight distance be ow the end thereof. Carried upon the rod 28 a slight distance below the up er end of the barrel 7, is a second square dis member 32, the four corners of which, like the disk member 29,

engage the inner wall of the barrel 7 and act to guide the rod in its longitudinal movement in the barrel.

Entrapped in the chamber 27, by. means of the member 23, is a ball 33, which seats in the upper end of the passage 24, and which, when seated, is free from contact with the upper end of the rod 28, to allow it to seat perfectly in theend of'the passage, to close the same. to close the upper end of the barrel 7 against the entrance of fluid when the devlce is raised from the bottom of the receptacle, also acts to force the rod 28 downwardly to cause the ball 31 at the lower end thereof to quickly and positive] seat in the aperture 4 to close the lower en of the barrel.

The glass barrel 7 is provided at spaced intervals of oneinch throughout its length withgthe transversed marking indicated at 34, by means of which marking the depth of the strata of water in the bottom of the container of 'oil can be determined.

In the use of this instrument, a suspension means is passed through the aperture 18 in the knob 17, and the instrument i lowered into a barrel or other receptacle containing the oil or gasoline to be' tested. The instrument is lowered until the ball 31 contacts with the lowermost portion of the receptacle, whereupon the ball 31. will be unseated, will lift the rod 28 which in turn will unseat the ball 33 allowing the liquid to bottom of the instrument as I The condition within the instrument will then be the same as the. condition of the oil within the receptacle and when the instrument is raised vertically from the bottom of the receptacle to remove it therefrom, the

ball 31 will seat itself to close the aperture 4 and the ball 33 will immediately seat itself to close the passage 24 and what might be termed a transverse section through the oil and water of the container is removed there-' from, and a glance through the sight opening 5 into the glass barrel 7 will immediately indicate the depth of the water within the container to establish the urity and cleanliness of the oil contained t erein.

so This ball besides acting said bored closure, and a free ball member at each end of said rod, one supporting said rod and normally acting to close said lower aperture and the other within said head and normally acting to close the upper end of the bore of said closure.

2. A device of the character set forth, comprising a relatively long tubular body having an aperture through the lower end thereof, a removable hollow head threaded into the upper end thereof, an axially bored removable closure threaded into the lower portion of said head, a longitudinally extending freely reciprocable rod within said body having the upper end extended partially through said bored closure, a guide foot upon the lower end of said rod and bearing against the inner wall of said body, and a free ball member at each end of said rod, one recessed in said foot and supporting the rod and normally acting to close said lower aperture and the other within said head and normally acting to close the upper end of said bored closure.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a tubular body having the upper end open and having thelower end provided with a relatively small aperture, an apertured hollow head having an interiorly and exteriorly threaded lower portion threaded into said upper end, an axially bored closure member engaging said interior threads of the lower portion of said head, a freely reciprocable rod in said body having one end extended into the bore of said member, and a free ball member at each end of said rod, one acting to normally close said small aperture and the other acting to normally close the upper end of said bore.

4. A device of the character set forth, comprising a tubular body having the upper end open and the lower end inwardly anged to provide a relatively small lower aperture, said body being interiorly threaded at the upper end, a removable lining barrel snugly fitted into said body, means threaded into said upper end to retain said barrel therein, a hollow head removably threaded into said upper end, a removable axially bored closure for the lower part of said head, a freely reciprocable rod in said body having one end extended into the bore 7 of said closure, and a freely moving ball at each end of said rod, one supporting said rod and normally acting to close said lower aperture and the other confined within said head and normally acting to close the upper end of said axial bore.

5. A device of the character set forth, comprising a tubular body having the upper end open and the lower end inwardly flanged to provide a relatively small lower aperture, said body being interiorly threaded at the upper end and further having -a relatively long longitudinally extending sight opening formed therethrough, a removable glass barrel snugly fitted in said body and covering said sight opening, a retaining member threaded into said upper end and binding against said barrel, a hollow apertured head removably threaded into said upper end, a removable axially bored closure for the lower part of said head, a freely reciprocable rod-in said body having one end extended into the bore of said closure, and a freely moving ball at each end of said rod. one supporting said rod and normally acting to close said lower aperture and the other eonfined within said head and normally acting to close the upper end of said axial bore.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

CHESTER E. YOUNG. 

